Apparatus for labeling bottles and like articles



A ril 24, 1962 G. EHLENBECK 3,

APPARATUS FOR LABELING BOTTLES AND LIKE ARTICLES Filed May 3, 1960 Fig.1 20

lzzvelztzzr gG.EjL&ezzbecJsf United States Patent 3,031,367 APPARATUS FOR LABELING BOTTLES AND LIKE ARTICLES Georg Ehlenbeck, Buttgen, near Neuss, Germany, assignor to Jagenberg-Werke Akt.-Ges., Dusseldorf, Germany Filed May 3, 1960, Ser. No. 26,547 Claims priority, application Germany May 19, 1959 3 Claims. (Cl. 156476) The present invention relates to labeling apparatus for bottles and like articles.

More particularly, the invention relates to labeling apparatus of the type wherein the bottles are supported in a vertical poistion on a rotatable supporting means beneath head holding means for the bottles and wherein the bottles are moved past tool means operative to apply labels to the body and/or neck of the bottles during the operation of the apparatus.

In apparatus of such general type, it has been customary for the label applying means, WhlCll have been located laterally of the forwardly moving path of the bottles, to be carried by the table of the apparatus so that it is necessary for the label applying means for the neck or head labels to be adjusted in a height-wise direction whenever the apparatus is changed-over for use with bottles of a different size. In view of the fact that the supporting means for the bottles are not adjustable height-wise, it is necessary with a change-over of the machine to other bottle sizes to adjust the bottle head holding means to conform to the height of the bottles. Hence, for a change-over of the apparatus, it is necessary to provide and actuate a height adjustment mechanism for the label applying means for the neck or head labels as well as height adjustment mechanism for the bottle head holders.

In addition to the use of additional mechanisms and the attendant increased time and labor required thereby in the change-over of the apparatus, the arrangement of the height-wise adjustable labeling means on the table or base plate of the apparatus impairs ready accessibility to the path of movement of the bottles, which, of course, becomes of special significance when the apparatus breaks down, or other problems arise respecting the operation of the apparatus and must be rectified.

To eliminate the foregoing and other objectionable characteristics is an important object of this invention.

To accomplish the above and other objects, the invention includes a common height-wise adjustment means for the bottle head holders which follow the forward movement of the bottles and for the label applying means for the head or neck labels which remains stationary with respect to such forward movement of the bottles so that the actuation of a single height-wise adjustment means positions both the bottle head holders and the head or neck label applying means properly for the size of bottles being labeled.

The invention further includes rotatably mounting the means carrying the head holders relative to the support of the apparatus which maintains the neck and head label applying means in a stationary position with respect to the direction of movement of the bottles, and means for adjusting the support vertically whereby the means carrying the head holders and the neck and head label applying means are simultaneously adjusted in the height-wise direction. Additionally, the means carrying the head holders includes means for imparting a drive to the neck and head label applying means during rotation of the head holder carrying means.

Further objects and advantages of the present invention will appear from the following description with reference to the accompanying drawings forming part of this specification and illustrating a preferred embodiment of the apparatus.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic representation partly in side elevation and partly in cross section of an apparatus embodying the invention, and taken along line 1-1 of FIG. 2, and

FIG. 2 is a fragmental plan view partly in cross-section of the apparatus.

Referring to the drawings, the apparatus includes a table It rotatable bottle support plates 11 movable in a circular path relative to the table, a neck or head label applying means 12 stationarily positioned with respect to the circular path of the bottles, a body label applying means 13 mounted on the table in spaced relationship to the means 12, rotatable bottle head holders 14, and a conveying means 15 for bottles 16 entering and leaving the apparatus.

A column or standard 17 is provided with a threaded lower end 17a which engages a threaded component 18 of the table 10. The upper end of the standard has a reduced extension 19 to the free end of which is affixed at hand wheel 2%. A plate 21 which carries the head holders 14 is rotatably mounted about the extension 19, and a support 22 in the form of a hood-like component is mounted on the extension above the plate 21. One or more props 23 extend between the support 22 and the table, and function to fix the support relative to the table. As will later be more fully described, rotation of the hand wheel will displace the standard, and of course the plate 21 and support 22 vertically to change the distance between such components and the table 10.

The label applying means 12 is mounted on or carried by the support 22, and such means comprise a -label container 24, dipping roller 25, gluing cylinder 26 and gripping cylinder 27, which components are of known type. It will be noted that shafts 25', 26 and 27' of the roller and cylinders are rotatably mounted in a wall portion of the support 22, and gear means denoted generally 28 provide a drive connection between the shafts.

To impart rotary movement to such components of the labeling means, the plate 21 is formed with a toothed periphery 29 which meshes with a gear means 30 on shaft 26'. A gear 31 driven by suitable means meshes with the teeth of the periphery of plate 21 so that when the gear 31 is driven, the plate 21, roller 25 and cylinders 26 and 27 are rotated simultaneously.

The body label applying means 13 includes a label container 32, dipping roller 33, gluing cylinder 34 and gripping cylinder 35. The shafts of these components are journalled in the table 10, and can be driven in any convenient fashion.

The neck and body labels can be pressed on the bottles 16 by tool means (not shown), well known in the art.

Assuming the apparatus has been adjusted for labeling a particular size of bottle, the unlabeled bottles on the conveying means 15, through the coaction of a screw 36 and a star wheel 37 are fed onto the support plates 11, and are secured in position by the head holders 14. Further movement of the bottles in the direction of the arrow or in a clockwise direction move the bottles past the label applying means 12 at which station such labels are applied to the bottles. The bottles then have the body labels applied by the applying means 13, and after tools (not illustrated) press the labels against the bottles, a star wheel 38 rotating in the direction of the arrow removes the bottles and positions the same on the conveying means 15 for movement to the desired location.

When the apparatus is to be used for labeling bottles of a different size from the last run, the head holders 14 and the label applying means 12 must be adjusted vertically to correspond to the height of the bottles. This is accomplished by turning the hand wheel 20 in the desired direction which displaces the standard 17, plate 21 and support 22 the proper distance relative to the table 10. Since the plate 21 and support 22 move simultaneously, the drive connection 2930 between the plate and the label applying means is uninterrupted during the adjustment cycle.

After the adjustment has been effected, the labeling steps above described are repeated.

The invention is not to be confined to any strict conformity to the showings in the drawings, but changes or modifications may be made therein so long as such changes or modifications mark no material departure from the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. An apparatus for labeling bottles or like articlescomprising bottle supporting means continuously rotatable in a circular path, bottle head holding means rotatably mounted above said supporting means for coaction with the heads of the bottles, a support above said bottle head holding means stationarily mounted with respect to the circular path of movement of the bottles, neck label applying means carried by said support for applying labels to the bottles, said neck label applying means including a label container, a glue transfer roller means, a glue cylinder means, and labeling cylinder means, a drive connection between said rotatable bottle head holding means and one of said label applying means whereby rotation of said bottle head holding means simultaneously rotates said one label applying means, and adjusting means operably connected to said support and bottle head holding means for simultaneously adjusting the position of said support bottle head holding means and neck label applying means relative to said bottle supporting means to allow the apparatus to be used with bottles of difierent sizes.

2. An apparatus for labeling bottles or the like comprising a table, bottle supporting means continuously r0- tatable in a circular path with respect to said table, a standard extending perpendicularly with respect to said table and having a threaded portion engaging a complernentary threaded portion of the table so that rotation of the standard displaces the standard relatively to the table, a plate mounted on said standard for rotation relative thereto in a plane substantially parallel to the plane of the table, a plurality of bottle head holding means carried by said plate for coaction with the heads of the bottles on the supporting means, a further supporting means mounted on said standard above said plate and fixed against rotation relative to the table, a neck label applying means carried by said further supporting means for applying labels to the necks of the bottles as such bottles move past the label applying means, said label applying means including a label container, a glue transfer roller means, a glue cylinder means, and labeling cylinder means, gear means carried by one of said label applying means, teeth on the periphery of said plate with which said gear means mesh, drive gear means meshing with the teeth of said plate for imparting simultaneous rotation to said plate and said one label applying means, and means operably connected to the standard for turning the standard to displace the same relative to the table whereupon said plate, bottle head holding means and neck label applying means are simultaneously displaced to allow the apparatus to be used with bottles of different sizes.

3. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, further including body label applying means located in the circular path of movement of the bottles at a position following the neck label applying means for applying body labels to the bottles.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,246,006 Stake Nov. 6, 1917 2,280,730 Talbot Apr. 21, 1942 2,371,265 Ray Mar. 13, 1945 

1. AN APPARATUS FOR LABELING BOTTLES OR LIKE ARTICLES COMPRISING BOTTLE SUPPORTING MEANS CONTINUOUSLY ROTATABLE IN A CIRCULAR PATH, BOTTLE HEAD HOLDING MEANS ROTATABLY MOUNTED ABOVE SAID SUPPORTING MEANS FOR COACTION WITH THE HEADS OF THE BOTTLES, A SUPPORT ABOVE SAID BOTTLE HEAD HOLDING MEANS STATIONARILY MOUNTED WITH RESPECT TO THE CIRCULAR PATH OF MOVEMENT OF THE BOTTLES, NECK LABEL APPLYING MEANS CARRIED BY SAID SUPPORT FOR APPLYING LABELS TO THE BOTTLES, SAID NECK LABEL APPLYING MEANS INCLUDING A LABEL CONTAINER, A GLUE TRANSFER ROLLER MEANS, A GLUE CYLINDER MEANS, AND LABELING CYLINDER MEANS, A DRIVE CONNECTION BETWEEN SAID ROTATABLE BOTTLE HEAD HOLDING MEANS AND ONE OF SAID LABEL APPLYING MEANS WHEREBY ROTATION OF SAID BOTTLE HEAD HOLDING MEANS SIMULTANEOUSLY ROTATES SAID ONE LABEL APPLYING MEANS, AND ADJUSTING MEANS OPERABLY CONNECTED TO SAID SUPPORT AND BOTTLE HEAD HOLDING MEANS FOR SIMULTANEOUSLY ADJUSTING THE POSITION OF SAID SUPPORT BOTTLE HEAD HOLDING MEANS AND NECK LABEL APPLYING MEANS RELATIVE TO SAID BOTTLE SUPPORTING MEANS TO ALLOW THE APPARATUS TO BE USED WITH BOTTLES OF DIFFERENT SIZES. 